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Posted: Sat 10th Jul 2021

Asda has launched its Fun Packed Summer event, offering 10 off tickets to some of the top attractions in the country to help keep the kids entertained during the Summer months.

With foreign travel still proving difficult, the offer will be welcomed by families who are desperate to get out and about and enjoy the summer in the UK, but are looking to get the best deals on their days out.

Research from Asdas latest Income Tracker* shows that due to covid restrictions, a third of Brits felt they were not getting value for money when it came to days out and that experiences were not what they were before the pandemic.

A sharp rise in the cost of essential spending, in part, due to increases in the price of transport, fuel and energy also means that the cost of living has increased by almost 11.99 per week compared to this time last year, putting an even greater emphasis on value and families getting the most out of days out together.

To help, Asda is offering its customers the opportunity to grab 10 vouchers when they spend 50 on their weekly shop in store, or 100 online.

They can be redeemed at over 2,000 theme parks and attractions around the country until May 2022 from Drayton Manor Theme Park, Flip Out and Go Ape to small local farms, theres plenty to keep everyone busy.

People wont have to travel far to take advantage, as 96% of Asda stores have an average of 40 activity venues within 15 miles, offering plenty of choice for those who want to stay close to home.

All Asda customers have to do is go to https://asdafunpackedsummer.com/and upload a photo of their receipt to redeem their voucher.

Preyash Thakrar, Asdas Chief Strategy Officer said:We know the last 18 months have been really tough for families and as Freedom Day approaches people are wanting to get back out and about again and enjoy time together. But, with the cost of living up 50 a month versus this time last year they need great value for money as well as great fun.

Our Fun Packed Summer event is our way making sure our customers can get the best value on their weekly shop and memory making days out.

The Summer of Fun deal is live until 16th August in all stores and online.

For more information visit:https://asdafunpackedsummer.com/

Vouchers are redeemable until May 2022.

*Asda serves over 18 million customers per week and captures regular feedback from a large pool of customers through its Income Tracker, Asda customer research via Kokoros sentiment tracker, The Score and Asda 1000.

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News Asda is offering 10 off tickets to UK attractions for family 'Fun Packed Summer' - Deeside.com

Valentines Week is here, and we can feel that love is in the air. If you are planning to take your crush out on a date this love season, then its important to know how to up your dating game. Dating can be difficult to navigate, we often get confused when to text back, who pays the bill, and a lot more. 2021 can be the year you reach your dating goals. Also Read - Happy Teddy Day 2021: Cute Wishes, Whatsapp Messages, Quotes, Status and SMS That You Can Send to Your Beloved!

The new year brings with it a special reflection on what the past year has offered you in your dating life. As one looks back on the last 12 months be honest about your dating successes and failures. Did 2020 bring passion, joy, heartbreak, confusion, inconveniently timed IBS (or a combination of all five)? Regardless, follow these tips to own 2021. Also Read - Happy Chocolate Day 2021: Date, Significance, History, And How to Celebrate

-Dont be quick to make vague resolutions like being less picky, being more communicative, or the Carrie Bradshaw-approved, love myself first! Analyse what these actually mean? Without tangible or specific actions, its all too easy for well-intentioned goals to fall by the wayside. Also Read - Valentines Week 2021 Dates: Know When Can You Surprise Your Partner with Gifts, Hugs, Teddy, and Kisses!

-Allow the power of manifestation to wash over you and repeat the following to yourself

-I will respect my body, heart, and mind by waiting until the third date to follow someone on Instagram. Dont give all your sweet memes and fire OOTDs out for free. Make them work for it.

-I will be more open to dating people who arent my usual type. Go ahead and give that tech-obsessed person a chance! Best case scenario? You two hit it off and discuss the future of driverless cars. Worst case scenario? You never see him again, but at least you finally understand Bitcoin.

-I will not pretend to like rock climbing just to relate to the person I want to date. Sometimes they will think your security in your own interests is sexy, sometimes they will stop dating you because they find someone else who does, in fact, love rock climbing. Either way, your authenticity is a win in and of itself.

-I will not agree to go on a date that will eat up on my savings or if I have to borrow money. Lets face it we all have days when we are tapped out of cash. Why put yourself in a place that will make you uncomfortable? Try a video call or a virtual date night instead.

I will not bother wasting time on that one person from my past who always texts me when theyre in town just because Im bored. It hasnt been good all this while, why would it be good this time? Lets leave this in the 2010s.

I will stop matching with people who dont upload their pics in their profile. If we all commit to this, we can eradicate it for good. This is 2021 we all deserve to live in.

(With inputs from IANS)

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Valentines Week 2021: Going on a Date? Keep These Six Resolutions in Mind - India.com

In order to promote short videos created on its own platform, Instagram will stop recommending videos with logos of other apps, including TikTok.

As first noted by The Verge, the company published a bunch of new guidelines for creators to get the best results possible on the platform. These tips, posted on Instagrams creators account, suggested video-makersto use the vertical format, the apps own sound library, and start a replicable trend.

The post also noted that usersshouldnt upload clips with low-resolution or visibly recycled content from other apps with logos and watermarks visible.

This is an unfair request from the social network as creators might not make effort to recreate the same content for different platforms. Besides, for folkswho are just starting out, it might not be possible to buy apps that let them make videos without any watermark.

Its also possible that some effect you might be looking to include in your video might not be available on Instagrams own camera. Video makers might end up putting more effort to keep all this in mind rather than focusing on the content.

Instagram first launched its short video product Reels in India last July, and later released it globally in August. While the company didnt address crossposting content at that time as creators were trying out the new platform, now it wants to clamp down on videos created on other platforms.

For someone like me, who lives in India, TikTok has been unavailable because of the governments ban last July. So, I miss consuming content from that app for global trending topics, such as the GameStop saga. Instagram Reels was one of the few ways to see those videos, and the company might end up discouraging creators to upload their TikTok videos on the platform. Thanks for nothing, Instagram.

Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? Its called Plugged In and you can subscribe to it right here.

Published February 10, 2021 04:35 UTC

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Instagram wont recommend Reels with a TikTok logo and its unfair - The Next Web

(TNS) Last spring, Murphy found himself teaching history to those dreaded black boxes. It was deflating. "Teachers are social beings," he said. "We are not designed to operate in isolation."

Even when most cameras are on, teachers' brains have to work harder to observe and absorb student behavior than when they're in the same space.

"The way online learning is happening now is exhausting," said Penelope Moon, acting director of online strategy at the University of Washington, Bothell. "Simply knowing we're being observed is exhausting. We're then performing, all the time. ... It's a higher cognitive load."

And it takes a lot of energy for teachers to present material, monitor student work and flit their eyes between the boxes that fit in their Zoom gallery.

Murphy tried different things in his Microsoft Teams classroom: If you grasp this point, put a heart up. Raise your hand if you can use evidence to support your answer.

"Distance learning presents an opportunity to let us reevaluate a lot of those important indicators," he said. "A lot of it has been really retraining my brain to look for different ways that students are responding."

Robert Hand, the 2019 Washington Teacher of the Year who teaches family and consumer sciences at Mount Vernon High School, also started the pandemic with few cameras on. But at least he had met his students in-person before last spring.

In person, he focuses on the look and feel of his classroom: the lighting, hanging pieces that represent students from all backgrounds. This year, he made his home office visually appealing and welcoming.

"I know for myself as a visual learner, things like that matter," he said.

He encourages, but doesn't require, students to turn on their cameras. He tells students he's happy they're there.

One thing that's helped: He's had his students upload profile photos onto their Zoom accounts. They may be static, but at least they're faces.

When school was in-person, Charlie Nunes, 16, followed a daily pattern: Wake up, get dressed, get ready for school. But "for online classes, it's really easy to just open your laptop while you're still in bed and click the link," she said.

A Woodinville High School student, Nunes is also taking college classes through Running Start. With the exception of her American Sign Language class, which relies on visual cues, most of her teachers don't mind whether students are on camera.

Mostly, she doesn't turn it on. "It's an added pressure," she said. "If they can see me, I feel like I have to respond to everything they're saying."

Sometimes it's easier to focus when you know people are watching. "When you look engaged and look like you're learning, it's easier to actually be learning. With cameras off, you could literally be doing anything you want and no one would know."

Issaquah School District surveyed its high school students, and found that just 4% said they used their cameras all the time, compared to 11.8% who used them most of the time, 28.3% who used them some of the time, 38.5% who hardly used them, and 17% who never did.

The district also asked students why they chose to turn their cameras on. Of the 1,163 answers, over 700 mention teachers: They either perceive their teachers as requiring them to turn them on, or they simply feel bad for them. (Issaquah teachers aren't allowed to mandate camera usage.) Other responses: "For Attendance and tests." "I think I look presentable enough." "To say hi, and to feel a little more realistic."

A few said camera usage reflected their mental health. Or they stayed visible "because I like to show my pretty little face" and "cuz I'm sexy."

In Renton, administrators conducted "empathy interviews" and found students were more ready to appear on camera for teachers they liked, who made them feel "like it's OK to be a little messy and human," Dorr said.

Concerns are different in college. "Our students are adults," said Amy Kinsel, a history professor at Shoreline Community College. "We don't have the attitude that we're minding them or watching them. They're making their own choices."

Districts in the Puget Sound region are largely steering clear of formal camera policies. Some, like Bellevue and Tacoma, don't have policies, but prompt teachers to encourage students to keep their cameras on.

In Seattle Public Schools, a technology FAQ says "educators can request, but not require, students to have their video camera on," and students shouldn't be penalized for leaving them off.

In Tacoma, "I wouldn't describe it as policy formal or informal," said spokesperson Daniel Voelpel.

Auburn School District took a proactive approach, said Vicki Bates, the district's assistant superintendent of technology. The district published digital learning guidelines, and does not require students to have cameras on.

In some grades, Auburn educators are trying to place more of an emphasis on student work asking students to show their paper or whiteboards instead, for example. "It centers the work, or the learning," she said.

But the meme and screenshot culture of the internet can also change the nature of bullying, making it feel more permanent from a distance. Hand said that's why students told him they'd be more comfortable if they were able to share their cameras just with him.

"We've had some discipline issues," Bates said. "But it's not much."

Throughout the pandemic, there's been a lot of hand-wringing over whether technology is appropriate for early learners.

In some cases, once they (or their caretakers) learn the tech, they're eager to show themselves off.

At least, that's what Heather Lippert, a kindergarten teacher in Edmonds, has found. "They want to be seen, and they want to see what the other kids are doing," she said.

While there's limited research on distance learning, research on in-person learning points to several critical factors that drive children's engagement, said Kristen Missall, a professor and school psychology program director at the UW's College of Education. They include giving kids more time to engage with the material, and having them practice it without making mistakes.

"If cameras are on, kids are more likely to plug into what's being said to them," she said. "They can hear and see it, probably more likely to be on task."

On the flip side, Missall acknowledged, being on camera can create anxiety or distractions.

Lippert has gotten used to teaching her students from the Zoom screen. She's developed strategies to flip through their boxes. She tries to be more laid back, because "I want them to still love school when they come back in person."

This school year has allowed her to forge a different kind of connection with her students: Since she's in their homes, they tell more specific stories and share objects that are important, like family heirlooms.

Another thing she's noticed: Kindergartners spend lots of time telling each other nonsensical jokes:

"Knock knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Chicken!"

"Chicken who!"

"There's chicken in the oven!"

Everyone started laughing.

(c)2021 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Washington Schools Ponder Future of Cameras in Classrooms - Government Technology

LinkedIn can be a great channel to build your personal brand, and even establish yourself as an influential thought leader within your niche. But in order to maximize the benefits of the platform, you need to understand how it works, what generates best response, and how you can utilize its various tools to optimal effect.

To help with this, in this post,we'll go over 10 things that you can do to become more influential on LinkedIn, including how much you should be posting, when to post, what to post, as well as how to take advantage of some of LinkedIn's cool features such as LinkedIn Live, discovering hashtags by popularity and post analytics.

Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to building a stronger LinkedIn presence in 2021.

Maintaining a consistent posting process is important on LinkedIn - but posting too much can hurt your presence.

Through my research at Onalytica we've found that influencers who post more than 50 times a month on LinkedIn see an average of 26 engagements per post, while those who post between 30-50 times a month see an average of 56 engagements,and those who post less than 30 times see even more engagement, on average.

Based on this, we recommend posting at least 2-3 times a week -but no more than 30 times a month for optimal engagement.

When you post is also significant -try to post in the mornings, perhaps on your way in to work. Then you can revisit those posts later in the day/evening, to reply to any comments youve had and boost your engagement.

Automation can be a great time-saver -but it can also be damaging to your visibility.

Its easy, for example, to set up a rule saying, if theres a blog mentioning 'X'keywords, post it on my LinkedIn feed. However, weve seen this used to the extreme, with some people posting hundreds of times per month.

As noted in the previous point, posting too much on LinkedIn can actually reduce your engagement, while LinkedIn's systems can spot when people are using automation, and can hide your posts so no one will see them.

If you are going to use automation tools on LinkedIn, you should still look to limit the number of posts to no more than 30 times a month.

Research shows that articles with images get 94%more total views. Its not just including images though, you can also add videos, slides, or podcasts to a post -or even documents, which LinkedIn added back in 2019.

Documents can actually be turned into carousel posts on LinkedIn - if you upload a series of visuals as a document, LinkedIn will display that as a carousel which users can side-swipe through.

When adding content, it is worth noting that LinkedIn prefers users to upload their content directly to their platform, rather than posting a link to another site that hosts it. For example, if you're posting a video, it's better to upload it to LinkedIn, rather than posting a YouTube link.

The 4-1-1 Rulewas coined by Tippingpoint Labs and Joe Pulizziof the Content Marketing Institute. While it was originally created with Twitter in mind, it can also be applied to LinkedIn.

The rule states that:

For every one self-serving post, you should repost one relevant post and most importantly share four pieces of relevant content written by others.

By following this rule, you're not just sharing your own content, but you're also providing helpful insights relevant to your audience written by others. This can be industry thought leader content, news, and trends.

At the same time, its also important to add your opinion. Many people just like or share posts that they've read, or sometimes without even reading them.You can set yourself apart by adding your own opinions, questions, or other commentary within the comments.

Tell people what you think about the points being made in the article, and dont be afraid to respectfully disagree with something and suggest a different point of view. This can start a debate, and youll find that the post gets a lot more engagement.

Although you're obviously looking to market yourself and your business, it's best to avoid being too pushy on this within your LinkedIn posts.

For example, try not to post directly about your product, as it can feel like an advert and turn people away. Its better to engage in thought leadership-style conversations, and if people like what you're saying, they'll go and check out your website and product offering.

At this stage it is more about building relationships and making new contacts.

Try LinkedIn live.This could be anything from a monologue to the camera, or a webinar with guests, or live streaming from an event.

Some 79%of marketers say that live video leads to more authentic audience interactions, while 82%of audiences would rather watch live video from a brand than read a social post.

LinkedIn live videos also see more engagement, with 7Xmore reactions and 24Xmore comments, on average, compared to regular video uploads.

When you tag another user within your LinkedIn post, they'll get notified of the mention, encouraging engagement.

You dont need to be directly connected to people you tag, you can tag people who are second-degree connections as well. Its important, however, to only tag people who are relevant to the post, otherwise it could be seen as spam.

Be strategic in who you mention, and try not to over-mention the same people all the time. Dont tag too many people in the post either -a post containing a long list of names looks a bit spammy.

When you create a post, there's a temptation to upload it everywhere -on your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Pages, etc. However, keep in mind that you will have several of the same followers on each of those channels, and they're going to see the same post from you wherever they go, which can quickly become repetitive and boring.

Its much better to create original posts for each platform.

Adding hashtags to your posts will help your content get discovered, as well as help LinkedIn to categorize your posts and differentiate them from other content.

Its important to always add relevant hashtags, not just popular ones. When hashtags are used well it enables others to more easily find your content in their searches. Using hashtags will also ensure that when members are looking for information on a certain topic, your article will come up as one of the options.

Try clicking on 'Discover more'under 'Followed Hashtags'at the bottom of the left of your LinkedIn homepage to see a recommended list of popular hashtags related to the hashtags you follow. You can also access this by clicking on the hashtags you follow and then clicking the 3 dots and then 'Discover new hashtags'.

Whats really useful about the recommended hashtags page is that it shows you the number of people that follow the hashtags, so you can prioritize those with the biggest following. Its important not to use hashtags that are really niche with no followers.

To access analytics on the posts youve shared click the 'Me'icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.

Under 'Manage', tap on 'Posts & Activity'. There you'll see all of your recent posts, with an analytics icon below each. Here you'll find real-time information on the posts youve shared, which can help you better understand your audience, as well as which posts have performed better than others.

With these insights, you can better understand if you were successful in optimizing your post to gain visibility with the right people. Make a note of which posts performed the best, and consider why they worked and what you can replicate.

Was it because you used a certain hashtag, or because you tagged a certain influencer? Was it because that particular topic struck a chord with people?

Once you have an idea as to why, you can experiment with replicating that style of post, and test to see if you get better levels of engagement or not.

LinkedIn continues to grow, and is likely to become an increasingly influential platform as we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, and into a new period of economic re-building. That will lead to new opportunities - and those that start on building their platform presence now will stand the best chance of capitalizing on this, and maximizing their potential on the platform.

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10 Tips to Boost Your LinkedIn Presence in 2021 - Social Media Today

Police 'overwhelmed' by tide of online child abuse

Law enforcement agencies are being overwhelmed by the number of cases of online child sexual abuse they are having to deal with, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for child protection has said.

Feb 8, 2021

By Website Editor

Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey said big tech firms such as Facebook need to accept greater responsibility and do more to prevent the uploading, sharing and viewing of child abuse images as too many parents still have a laissez-faire attitude to what their children do in their bedrooms.

I dont think their role in all this has been truly appreciated because without them the abuse wouldnt be able to take place in so many cases, he said.

Its the big market leaders that actually bear responsibility for making sure the internet is a safe place for our children and for our grandchildren to go. And ultimately at this moment in time its not safe.

He was speaking before the broadcast of the three-part documentary Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles, which follows covert police units using undercover officers. The first episode follows 47-year-old Simon, an undercover officer posing as a paedophile who enjoys abusing his ten-year-old daughter and is looking for other men to join him.

He is bombarded with messages after creating a profile on an open chatroom for children, while an online child sex offender is caught after writing a message offering pictures of a four-year-old girl in a public toilet.

Mr Bailey blamed the staggering increase from 7,000 indecent images of children in 1990 to 17 million on the child abuse image database now on the development of the internet and the ability of anyone to take and share pictures from smartphones.

He said online grooming has gone up during Covid-19 lockdowns with youngsters spending more time on their computers and paedophiles discussing in chatrooms greater opportunities to carry out abuse.

And he described as frightening figures showing that 44 per cent of new indecent images found online are taken by children themselves with 11 to 13-year-old girls most likely to upload and share pictures and videos.

I could describe to you some of the most horrific videos where you can see a child thats been groomed, abusing themselves within their own bedroom and you can hear their mother calling up and recorded on the video, darling, dinners nearly ready, said Mr Bailey.

Now that is pretty horrific, I think, in anybodys estimation.

But Mr Bailey admitted the work was the tip of the iceberg, with the 850 offenders arrested per quarter and the safeguarding of more than 1,000 children a month having little effect, if anything.

Last year the National Crime Agency warned there are at least 300,000 people in the UK posing a sexual threat to children, while the coronavirus pandemic is thought to have made the problem even worse.

It is undoubtedly, in my mind, one of the greatest, if not the greatest societal threats that we are having to now deal with as a police service, said Mr Bailey.

At the moment, law enforcement agencies across the country are becoming overwhelmed with the sheer volume of cases that we are having to deal with, which is absolutely impacting on our ability to deal with the more sophisticated, the more tech-savvy and potentially the more dangerous offenders, and we are having to deal with an awful lot of lower risk offenders.

Mr Bailey said police cant arrest our way out of the problem and said he hopes the Governments Online Harms legislation will hold technology firm bosses to account.

Ultimately, until such time as the companies that facilitate the uploading, the sharing, the viewing of images, the ability to go online and groom a child, until such time as they put in place the right safeguards, despite our very best efforts and the very best efforts of the undercover community, we are never, ever going to be able to deal with the threat in the way we would wish to, he said.

The technology is there to prevent the uploading, the sharing, the viewing of images, I think the technology is there to monitor what is taking place within chatrooms, where grooming is taking place.

Ultimately, the companies absolutely must bear the responsibility for allowing so much of this abuse to take place and I hold them responsible.

A Facebook company spokesperson said: Child exploitation and grooming have no place on our platforms. Using industry-leading technology, over 99 per cent of child exploitation content we remove from Facebook and Instagram is found and taken down before its reported to us.

We also use a combination of technology and behavioural signals to detect and prevent grooming, or potentially inappropriate interactions between a minor and an adult. We have 35,000 people working in our safety and security team to keep our platforms safe.

Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday, February 8.

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Police 'overwhelmed' by tide of online child abuse - Police Professional

(CNN) Withcases of Covid-19now past the 27 million mark in theUnited States, some states have updated or expanded their rules and regulations.

TheCenters for Disease Control and Preventionwarns against nonessential travel at this time. If you do decide totravelto another state, it is important to be updated on the latest statewide regulations.

While some US states still have no restrictions on leisure travel, all their official websites have important Covid-19 safety information. For instance, most states have mandates on face masks in public settings.

This list is alphabetical and includes links to state websites that have important details that you should read before you cross state lines:

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Alabama. However, visitors should be aware of the states mask mandate, as it applies to travelers, too. Its effective through March 5 (though its been extended numerous times). You cancheck here for updates.

Visitors to Alaska should have a qualifying Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure and upload their negative result to aTravel Declaration Form. Youre then asked to observe strict social distancing for five days. A second test is suggested but not required between days 5 and 14. If you dont arrive with a negative Covid-19 result, you must take a Covid-19 test at the airport for $250 and quarantine at your own expense until you get the results.Check here for details and updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Arizona.Check here for updates. Heres adirect link for information on Native American landsin the state. And you canclick here to see the statusof specific tourist sites.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Arkansas.Check here for updates.

UPDATE:California has lifted its recent stay-at-home order but discourages out-of-state visitors. People are encouraged to quarantine for 10 days upon entering the state. San Francisco and Santa Clara counties have a 10-day mandatory quarantine. Los Angeles County requires visitors to fill outthis online travel form.

In most counties, restaurants can serve patrons outdoors and hotels can accommodate visitors. Part of US Highway 1 in Monterey County continues to be closed because of a mudslide.

Find out more:

You canclick here to find out local travel information this is highly advised as the situation is different depending on the location. Click here for details onCalifornias winter ski season. Finally, you can continue tocheck here for updateson California more generally.

Pitkin County, Colorado (which includes ski resort Aspen/Snowmass), requires overnight visitors to completea health affidavitand provide a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival or face a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

There are no other known travel restrictions in the rest of Colorado, though nonessential travel is not recommended.Check here for updatesandclick here for regional informationabout whats open.

UPDATE:Anyone traveling to Connecticut from anywhere other than New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island must self-quarantine for 10 days. You must also fill out atravel health form. Failure to do either could result in a $500 fine. You can be exempt from the quarantine with a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 72 hours before your arrival or after getting a negative result for a test taken after arrival.

One more exception: If you have tested positive for Covid-19 within 90 days and have clinically recovered or not been symptomatic for 10 days, youre not required to self-quarantine. But you must provide written proof of a positive test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to: DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via fax to: (860) 326-0529.

Pleasecheck here for updates and details.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Delaware.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Florida.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Georgia.Check here for updates.

Hawaii has a complicated and evolving set of travel requirements and you can expect variation within the islands. You should read them thoroughly before you plan a trip and check often for updates. A brief summation according to the state:

Travelers (5 and older) wishing to bypass the 10-day mandatory quarantine must have their negative Covid-19 test results from atrusted testing partner prior to departure for the State of Hawaii. Travelers heading to Hawaii must upload their negative test result to theSafe Travels systemprior to departure or, as an alternative to uploading, bring a hard copy of their negative test result with them when boarding their flight. The test must be taken within 72 hours of the final leg of departure.

Visitors to Kauai must quarantine regardless of test result unless they qualify to stay in a resort bubble hotel.Check here for important additional details, including going from one island to another.

As of February 8, there are no statewide travel restrictions in Idaho.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide restrictions in Illinois, but visitors heading to Chicago have been placed in two categories orange and yellow. Anyone from an orange state must quarantine for 10 days or have a negative Covid-19 test result no more than 72 hours old to avoid the quarantine. There are no specific requirements for yellow states (which is currently only Hawaii).Check here for the list of states and more informationbefore you travel.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Indiana.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Iowa. Anyone 2 and older is required to wear a face covering in indoor public settings.Check here for updates and gathering restrictions.

While mostly open, Kansas has some rather specific quarantine requirements subject to change.Check here for updatesand more details.

The Bluegrass State is discouraging out-of-state leisure travel. If you decide to go anyway, the state asks you to self-quarantine for 14 days. ReadKentuckys travel advisory here.

UPDATE:As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Louisiana. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras parades have been canceled and restrictions have been put on drinking.Check here for updates.

Travelers must quarantine for 10 days upon arrival orfill out a travel protocol formstating theyve received a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours. You may also get tested upon arriving in Maine but must quarantine while awaiting results. Residents of New Hampshire and Vermont are exempt.Check here for updates.

People who travel to Maryland must either get a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of arrival or self-quarantine for 10 days. This applies to people coming from all places except Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC. Check the following for updates:VisitMaryland guide|The governors recovery plan|PDF with detailed instructions (pages 2 and 3).

All visitors and returning residents must completea travel formbefore arriving in Massachusetts unless they are arriving from a statedesignated by the Department of Public Health as low risk. As of January 29, the only low-risk state was Hawaii.

Otherwise, visitors must quarantine for 10 days or have proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival. You could be fined $500 a day if you dont comply.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Michigan, though some of the activities and venues vacationers might enjoy are not open or very limited in operations for now.Check here for updates.

Visitors to Minnesota are asked to quarantine for 14 days or follow CDC guidelines on how to shorten a quarantine. Also note that many indoor tourism venues are either closed or have tight restrictions. Safe outdoor recreation is encouraged. Find out more:Explore Minnesota|Minnesota Department of Health.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Mississippi.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Missouri.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Montana. Travel restrictions might vary atNative American reservations. Pleasecheck here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Nebraska.Check here for updates.

As of February 8, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Nevada, though manyindoor places tourists might visithave strict capacity limits.Check here for updates.

Visitors to New Hampshire are asked to self-quarantine for 10 days unless they are arriving from elsewhere in New England. People who get a negative Covid-19 test result on or after the seventh day of quarantining can break it early. If it has been 14 days or more since you got your second Covid-19 vaccine, you do not need to quarantine or get tested.Check here for updates.

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Covid-19 travel restrictions state by state - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Block Party To Go charity fundraiser

Participants in North Hills Community Outreachs annual block party fundraiser wont be able to gather in person this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the North Hills charity and social service agency is still planning to party.

Have fun at home with a Block Party To Go party bag. The adult bags include a do-it-yourself pizza kit, wine, dessert, a game and more. The childrens bag includes a craft kit from Dots and Doodles, snacks and other items.

Some of the bags will include a bonus gift card to a local restaurant or business. The first 300 party-to-go kits will include a link to play BuzzWorthy Pub Trivia.

More information and an order form for party bags are available online at: NHCO/Block-Party.

Free tax prep help

A free tax preparation service is being offered by the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania through April 10.

The service is available virtually or through a combination of online and in-person meetings.

Clients can upload their materials and tax experts will prepare and review the return.

The hybrid tax preparation will require two brief appointments in a safe environment, following covid-19 guidelines, to provide information and review the return.

The service is available to residents in Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Assistance from a volunteer tax preparer is available for people and families with a total annual income of up to $57,000.

A free, do-it-yourself online tax assistance program is available at myfreetaxes.com.

Womens Business Network meetings

The Womens Business Networks three chapters in the North Hills have scheduled free networking sessions for February.

The Cranberry Chapter meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:30 am. The chapter will meet on Feb. 4 and 18. For more information, contact Cynthia at 724-316-3427.

The Wexford Chapter has its meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 8:15 a.m. This months meetings will take place Feb. 9 and 23. For details call Jocelin at 724-553-4452.

The Criders Corners Chapter holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at noon. Februarys meetings are on the 11th and 25th. Call Sherri for details at412-760-9601.

An All Virtual Chapter holds regular meetings via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month. For details call Jennifer Pasquale at 412-908-1663.

Ash Wednesday service

Hampton Presbyterian Church will hold an Ash Wednesday worship service to mark the first day of Lent on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Depending on the covid restrictions in place when the service occurs, ashes might be distributed, according to church officials.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the nursery will not be available. However, children are invited to attend the service with their families.

The service also will be livestreamed to monitors in several locations in the building for people who want to participate but prefer to remain outside the sanctuary.

The church is located at 2942 East Hardies Road in Gibsonia.

Hampton Junior Football registration

Registration is open for the Hampton Junior Football Associations 26th season.

The organization has football teams and cheerleading squads for three age groups: Spikes, 5-8 years old; K9, 9-10 years old; and Dawgs, 11-12 years old.

This year, Hampton will play host to the United Youth Football League championship game.

Association officials say the top priority for its program is player safety.

Registration costs $140 through Feb. 28. The cost to to sign up during March and April is $190. After May 1, the registration fee will be $240.

For more information, see the Associations Facebook page or send an email to: doughjfa@gmail.com.

Block Northway hosting students art exhibit

Art created by students in the North Hills is on display through Feb. 18 at The Block Northway in Ross.

The artwork was made by elementary, middle school and high school students in the Hampton and North Hills school districts and Holy Cross & Blessed Trinity Academy.

The display also features a giant quilt made up of 310 ceramic tiles created by students at Hamptons Wyland Elementary school.

The art is being displayed in the South Corridor, Upper Level between Lands End and DSW. The pieces also will be featured on The Block Northways website throughout the year.

Northern Tier Library activities

Here are some of the upcoming activities and programs at the Northern Tier Regional Library in Hampton. Some programs require registration, which can be done online or by calling the library at 724-449-2665. Additional information and updates about programs also are available on the librarys Facebook page.

Meditating with Plants, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.: Grace Astraea of TimeSpaceOne Healing Arts will lead a program on connective and calming meditation experiences with your favorite plant via Zoom.

Simple instructions for preparing and implementing a plant meditation will be given. The group also will spend a short period practicing the strengthening relationship to the living world via our plants.

No previous experience is needed, just an open mind and willingness to learn more about your relationship to the plant kingdom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom meeting invitation link.

North Park Bald Eagles, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.: Bald Eagles are one of the biggest and most recognizable birds in the United States.

Master Naturalist Ken Knapp will present a program via Zoom to share information about this species and provide an update on whats going on with the local eagles.

This program is intended for adults, but all ages are welcome to attend. Registration is required to receive the Zoom meeting invitation link.

Winter Valentines Day at Hogwarts: Request a take-home kit to discover some magical Valentines Day crafts inspired by our favorite Wizarding school.

This craft bundle will be available for pickup on Feb. 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. People who cannot pick up their bundles during those times can retrieve them from the librarys lobby.

This bundle is for all ages and registration is required by Feb. 7 at midnight to ensure enough supplies are available.

Toddler Story Time: Uploads at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 9 and 23.

Preschool Story Time: Uploads at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 10 and 24.

Rhymes, Songs, & Yoga Poses: Uploads at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 4, 11, and 25.

Take-Home Crafts: Kids and adults of all ages are invited to create and enjoy a simple weekly take-home craft. Runs through Feb. 8.

The Weekly Project: This six-week program features a variety of activities that children can do with their families at home, including cooking, crafting, art and STEM. Register online or by telephone to get take-home materials for the program that runs through Feb. 8.

Take-Home Maker Mondays: Participants can pick up a supply kit and follow a weekly tutorial video that will be posted on the librarys various social media pages. Feb, 8: Mini Valentines Day pillow, Feb. 22: Marble Maze.

Winter Reading Challenge 2021: Join readers from across Allegheny County in the Winter Reading Challenge 2021, which runs through Feb. 28.

Family Movie Nights: Enjoy some movies, a cup of hot chocolate and a bag of popcorn on a cold winter night by picking up a Family Movie Night Kit.

Crafts at Heart: Beginning Feb. 10, adults and teens can pick up kits to create handmade Valentines Day heart-themed crafts.

Categories:Hampton Journal | Local

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In brief: Block party to go, free tax prep help, women's business network, library programs and more in Hampton - TribLIVE

Elon Musk has revealed that his Neuralink startup has implanted a wireless chip into a monkeys brain in order to allow it to play video games.

The technology billionaire, who also heads SpaceX and Tesla, said the monkey looks totally happy and that Neuralinks facilities meet US regulatory requirements.

Speaking during a Q&A session on the Clubhouse app, Mr Musk said the startup had moved beyond experiments on pigs and onto monkeys.

Weve already got like a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull and the tiny wires, who can play video games using his mind. And he looks totally happy. He does not look like an unhappy monkey," Mr Musk said.

You cant even see where the neural implant was put in. Hes not uncomfortable and he doesnt look weird.

Mr Musk added that an inspector with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) described Neuralinks laboratory as the nicest monkey facilities" that they had ever seen. A spokesperson for the agency was not immediately available for comment.

We went the extra mile for the monkeys, Mr Musk said. One of the things were trying to figure out [is] can we have the monkeys playing mind Pong with each other? That would be pretty cool.

INDY/LIFE NewsletterBe inspired with the latest lifestyle trends every week

INDY/LIFE NewsletterBe inspired with the latest lifestyle trends every week

The brain-machine interface startup, which Mr Musk foudned in 2016, is eventually hoping to implant chips into human brains to provide a high-bandwidth link between humans and computers.

The Neuralink device is the size of a coin and can be implanted into the skull

(Neuralink)

In the short term, Neuralink plans to use its wireless chips to treat brain disorders and diseases.

But longer-term goals for the startup are far more ambitious, ranging from the human-AI symbiosis concept, to something the CEO refers to as conceptual telepathy.

This would involve humans thinking about a complex series of concepts and then transferring them directly, uncompressed, to another person.

This would massively improve the quality of communication, and the speed of it, Mr Musk said,

There are other pretty wild things that could be done, he continued. You could probably save state in the brain. So if you were to die your state could be returned in the form of another human body or a robot body You could decide if you want to be a robot or a person or whatever.

A robot designed by Neuralink would insert the 'threads' into the brain using a needle

Neuralink

A fully implantable neural interface connects to the brain through tiny threads

Neuralink

Trials of Neuralink's fully implantable neural interface system will begin in 2021

Neuralink

Neuralink says learning to use the device is 'like learning to touch type or play the piano'

Neuralink

There were some caveats to the futuristic technology, with any downloading or transferring of consciousness potentially resulting in some loss of memory or sense of self.

You wouldnt be exactly the same, thered be a little lost in transfer But its also true that if you wake up today, youre not exactly the same as you were yesterday, Mr Musk said.

There could be something analogous to a video game, like a save game situation, where you are able to upload your last state Maybe lose a few memories but mostly be you.

During a demonstration of the technology last August, Mr Musk also said that Neuralinks wireless chips could solve blindness solve paralysis [and] solve hearing, while simultaneously allowing humans to compete with advanced artificial intelligence.

Neuralink released a video on Saturday of a robot capable of surgically implanting the brain chips into humans, and Mr Musk said more details would be announced about the startups progress next month.

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Elon Musk says he has totally happy monkey with brain chip so it can play video games using its mind - The Independent

8:00 PM PST 1/31/2021byJourdain Searles

In the last 20 years, as the internet steadily integrated itself into every facet of our lives, adolescence has been changed radically. No longer forced into interactions with other people their age by circumstance, more and more teens have found themselves alone on their computers, phones and tablets for immeasurable lengths of time. This has lead to personal discovery divorced from the physical teens are left to explore their bodies and draw their own conclusions based on whatever information they can find. Though the internet offers a wealth of resources, its spread out across countless webpages that one can only find by going down a number of rabbit holes. How can someone find what theyre looking for if they dont know what it is? In general, self-discovery usually occurs by accident, within our chosen online communities. Over time, RPGs (role-playing games) have become an increasingly important vehicle for identity play. Thats what writer-director Jane Schoenbruns debut feature Were All Going to the Worlds Fair is all about.

The film tells the story of Casey (Anna Cobb, in her feature film debut), an isolated teen in an unnamed rural town. She spends most of her time making videos, all of which receive minimal views. Even when shes outside, going on long walks in the woods and along the highways, she brings her camera, recording her thoughts to upload later. Though we spend the majority of the runtime with Casey, we never get to know any more than what she tells us. Even her name is withheld from us she's Casey for her videos, but theres no telling what shes actually called.

The only person she speaks to directly in the film is a man (Michael J. Rogers) she meets over Skype; he is also never named. Both of them are lonely people, grasping at a small yet meaningful connection over a mysterious horror RPG called The Worlds Fair. Casey joins the game by pricking her finger and wiping the blood onto her computer monitor while reciting the phrase I want to go to The Worlds Fair three times. Once shes in the game, she begins to gradually change, getting angrier and more introspective. Screen depictions of puberty often revolve around young love and social conflict. But with Casey, the journey is internal; she uses the game to dig into the depths of her mind. And since she spends most of her time alone, theres no one around to pull her out.

But as her videos become more disturbing, the mysterious man on the other side of the screen begins to take on a parental role in her life. Casey has an actual father, but she avoids him. In one telling scene, she watches his car pull up outside the window and quietly takes her meal up to her room without greeting him. We never see her father onscreen.

There are unmistakable themes of dysphoria in the film, demonstrated by Casey using the game to experiment with her own presentation. In one explosive scene, she covers her face in glow-in-the-dark paint and destroys her favorite childhood toy. Afterward, the tone in her voice changes from menacing to remorseful as if shes been pulled out of the game back into her physical body.

We get to know Casey by what she watches, but more importantly, how the camera watches her. We are often positioned as the screen shes looking at, functioning as some of the few witnesses to her self-expression. The use of dark and glowing lights in the film illuminates the loneliness of her journey.

The music, scored by indie artist Alex G, is slow and melancholy. The sound adds gravity to every scene. Coupled with the slow, deliberate pace of the film, it pushes us as to sit with Casey and witness every small detail of her emotion. Cobbs face is a canvas for a world of yearning that cant fully be revealed to us because she doesnt have the language to articulate it yet. That truth allows the film to feel both specific and universal at the same time. We all are seen and unseen simultaneously; there is no way to reveal the entirety of our souls, not even when we stare directly into the camera wanting desperately to be understood.

In one of the films most tender scenes, Casey is in a barn watching an ASMR video on a projector. On the screen is a woman looking softly into the camera repeating soothing phrases. She wants whoever is watching to calm their mind and go to sleep. She repeats shushing sounds as Casey watches quietly, trying to allow herself to relax. When youre that age, your mind is a fever of rage, sadness and confusing desires. Much like that video, Were All Going to the Worlds Fair is a warm hand for those still trying to figure themselves out. Its alright not to know everything yet. Give it time.

Venue: Sundance (NEXT)Production companies: Dweck Productions Presents, Flies CollectiveCast: Anna Cobb, Matt J RogersWriter-director-editor: Jane SchoenbrunProducers: Sarah Winshall & Carlos ZozayaExecutive producers: David Lowry, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Zachary Shedd, Matthew Petock, Hannah Dweck, Theodore ShaeferDirector of photography: Daniel Patrick CarboneProduction designer: Grace SloanOriginal Music: Alex GCostume designer: Abby HarriCasting: Abby Harri

86 min.

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'We're All Going to the World's Fair': Film Review | Sundance 2021 - Hollywood Reporter

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Investment Boost

After hitting the pause button in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, marketers appear ready to increase their investments in 2021 as long as a vaccine rollout goes well. A CMO Council survey of 200 global marketers reveals that 65% plan to boost their investments this year after conserving cash over the past year, according to CampaignUS. Nice to hear, considering global ad spend declined by 5.8% in 2020. Now, just 10% of marketers plan to reduce their marketing budgets year-over-year, and 24% expect to keep their investment stable. What are they spending on? Mainly technology, automation and transformation, but also talent that has proficiency in data and tech. 2020 was a recalibration year for rethinking and redirecting spend, said Donovan Neale-May, founder and director of the CMO Council. CMOs found major savings last year as events and trade shows, which typically take up 25% of marketing budgets, were canceled. All of a sudden, those budgets are freed up, Neale-May said.

Keep It Short

YouTube is hoping for some of TikToks sweet, sweet Gen Z engagement with a feature called Shorts that allows creators to upload brief vertical videos. Its been testing Shorts in India after first announcing the feature in September, Business Insider reports. But YouTube isnt the first big platform to take on TikTok. See: Instagram Reels and Snapchats Spotlight. That battle will heat up even more as YouTube jockeys to be seen as a platform where creators can make money, reach new audiences and build a sustainable business. Spotlight and TikTok have both set up programs of their own dedicated to paying creators on an ongoing basis. Although videos that appear in YouTubes Shorts section dont earn creators any money yet, the engagement is gangbusters. YouTube says its TikTok competitor is getting 3.5 billion views a day in the India test run, according to CNBC, and some creators are saying they see huge audience growth with Shorts.

WhatFace

Its no secret that Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has been getting a lot of heat and losing users in recent weeks after announcing and then delaying changes to how it uses data. The backlash was swift. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk took aim at the platform and recommended users move to encrypted messaging apps, such as Signal and Telegram. Regardless, WhatsApp is forging ahead with new privacy and security features, according to TechCrunch, including adding a biometric authentication for logging in on desktop. In other words, people will be able to use their face, fingerprint or iris to verify their identity on their phone when they try to access their WhatsApp account on the web. Then theyll have to scan a QR code on their phone for two-factor authentication. WhatsApp does not see your face or fingerprint data, the company tweeted. Thats comforting. In other news: Is the pot calling the kettle black? According to The Information, Facebook might be gearing up for a big antitrust lawsuit against Apple. Facebook claims that Apples App Store guidelines represent market abuse, because third-party developers have to abide by Apples rules while Apples own apps seem to get a pass.

But Wait, Theres More!

Interim FFC chair Jessica Rosenworcel is also the frontrunner to eventually lead Bidens FCC, and shes got a plan for Silicon Valley to overtake China in 5G and AI innovation. [Business Insider]

Sheraton is rebranding to bring the hotel chain up-to-date with a focus on communal spaces, although it doesnt seem to have a defined audience in mind. [Adweek]

COVID-19 has shaped a sobering Super Bowl ad lineup. Sure, there will still be some laughs, but Indeed, Chipotle, Budweiser and others are tackling tough topics, including job loss, finances, vaccines and the plight of farmers. [The Drum]

MOLOCO has launched an automated buying platform for in-house programmatic advertising that includes bid optimization and Limit Ad Tracking targeting. [AiThority]

Its never too early to get your ducks in a row. Here are six ways that the California Privacy Rights Act could impact businesses and the personal information they collect. [The National Law Review]

AdInMo struck a partnership with InMobi to supply in-game brand ads. [release]

Digitas and Weber Shandwick have become the first advertising agencies to join the Global Video Measurement Alliance. [MediaPost]

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Most Marketers Will Increase Spend In 2021; YouTube Readies Its TikTok Rival - AdExchanger

As working from home is now quickly becoming entrenched in the workforce, a reliable internet connection is a must.

Bandwidth is now demanded by not only our PCs, but also our mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT) products, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming services. With so many of us now spending a substantial amount of time at home, especially when there are multiple people in the same property, the fight for capacity can lead to a host of connectivity issues.

Also: How to optimize your network for remote work and learning

However, it's not just a fight for access to social media or Netflix. Working remotely and homeschooling have now been added to the mix, and we are more dependent than ever on having a stable internet connection in our daily lives.

Connectivity drops, bottlenecks, slow content streaming and downloads, or simply slow speeds are all common issues with home internet.

Below, we explore seven major reasons why your internet might be slow -- and how to fix them.

A low-cost subscription from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have once served you well for occasionally checking your email or watching a YouTube video at home. Now, when you need a connection that can manage IoT, you need to maintain a remote Microsoft Teams work meeting, your child is using Zoom while attending a virtual lesson, and another person is gaming at the same time, if you have constant speed problems, this is the first thing you should consider.

Before examining your hardware, you should make sure you are on a package that is likely to be able to cope with today's array of devices and demand. As noted by ZDNet's Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, a minimum speed of 30Mbps is recommended.

See also: Slow Wi-Fi? 8 ways to speed up your home office network

If you are already on a package such as fiber and there's no reason why you are suffering slow internet speeds because of what you are paying for, head over to Speedtest.net to check your connection speed in real-time.

This free service will ping and check your download and upload speeds, as shown in progress below:

If you are paying for a package of up to 30Mbps and are only receiving speeds of 2 or 3Mbps, for example, it may be an issue with your ISP and physical cables. At this point, it is worth checking in with your provider to see if there is an outage in the area. Flickering lights on your router may also indicate a problem outside of your home.

However, if it is only a specific service online that you're having trouble with, go to Down for everyone or just me, type in the address, and check to see if your slow speed or failed connection to a domain is a third-party problem or outage.

There are two general categories of hardware used to connect your home: a traditional router or a mesh network.

Traditional routers take on the role of a center point to link you to your ISP service. These routers are centralized hubs that manage traffic through one access point.

Also: Mesh networking vs. traditional Wi-Fi routers: What is best for your home office?

In comparison, mesh networks are a relatively new entrant on the market that create a web of nodes for internet access. Instead of every home device connecting to one router, these products include a hub and nodes that can be dotted around different areas of your home -- and devices will connect to the closest node to access the internet.

If you are using traditional hardware, such as a default router provided by your ISP, you need to keep in mind that the further away you are, the higher the risk of connection problems, slow speeds, and dropouts. A simple solution is to move your router -- perhaps, closer to your home office -- or invest in a Wi-Fi extender to boost signal strength.

Objects, too, can impede connections between your devices and a router. If possible, try to keep clutter around your router to a minimum.

Larger properties or home offices located in a garden or yard, however, may simply not be serviceable by one centralized internet hub. If this is the case, moving your router won't be enough, and it may be time to consider a mesh network instead.

On this note, both categories can provide reasonable speeds -- but mesh networks do tend to sacrifice some speed for improved connectivity. If you require direct, high-speed connections for streaming, gaming, and power-hungry work applications, an upgrade to your standard router is a worthwhile investment and will likely perform better than a mesh setup.

There is also no point in signing up a high-speed internet plan if your old hardware cannot support it, and so you need to consider the age of your router if you are having trouble with slow speeds.

See also:

Something that may be overlooked but could cause connectivity or speed issues is the wiring linking your router to a phone jack or PC. If they are old, you may want to consider refreshing them and replacing older ADSL/Ethernet wires and see if this solves the issue.

If you are suffering slow speeds, this may be because someone else is hijacking your internet subscription. Routers usually come with a randomized password set as default and printed on a sticker on your router, but if you have changed your password to something weak or have a Wi-Fi hotspot open, this could indicate that others are using your network without consent.

To lock your connection or change your password, head over to your router's configuration page in a browser. You will need to check your vendor's specific router address use -- which is usually something comparable to 192.168.0.1 -- or perform a Google search with your router type and this should provide the address you need to access router settings.

Wi-Fi channels facilitate the sending and receipt of data. When you have too many connections, this may cause a bottleneck that slows down your broadband. Depending on which channels your router uses, you may be able to switch to less congested traffic paths.

There are different Android and iOS apps to analyze your Wi-Fi channels easily and reveal what devices are connected to your network. In order to change channels, you can sign in to your router's configuration page and select from available options.

A virtual private network (VPN) is software that adds a layer of encryption to connections made between your device and servers, as well as masks your IP address. Now many of us are working from home, offices may require you to use a VPN to access corporate resources.

You can either subscribe to a VPN as a paying customer or opt for a free service. Paid options are usually faster but can still slow down your internet as you are using a relay for traffic -- and if the VPN service is being used at peak times, there may also be congestion.

Also:Best VPN services for 2021: Safe and fast don't come for free

A quick fix is often to try a different location option offered by your VPN; for example, London users set to a New York server could try using a different server located in the UK. Not all VPNs, either, are created equal, and there can be substantial differences between the speeds on offer.

Free VPNs are generally not recommended because in return for free access, there is always a trade-off -- whether this is in security, your personal data, or speed. If you are using a free VPN option and the low speed is intolerable, you may want to consider signing up for a paid service instead.

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Why is my internet so slow? Here are 7 reasons and how to fix them - ZDNet

If you hadnt heard of Glass Animals by 2020, youd be forgiven. Itd be deeply surprising, but we could let it go.

Afterall, not everyone knows every band and we all have our musical blind spots. But if thats still the case this week, then surely youve been living off grid.

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The British four piece formed back in 2010 in Oxford, led by the warbling, weird and wonderful vocals of Davey Bayley. Not content with simple writing and singing these eccentric pop songs, Dave also produces them too and has done so across the three records theyve given us across a steadily swelling career. Their debut album Zaba made waves and their second album How To Be A Human Being saw them nominated for a Mercury Award in the UK but this story really gains steam around album three, last years aptly titled Dreamland.

Featuring big singles like Tangerine and Tokyo Drifting (featuring some supreme bars from Denzel Curry) were big singles but the biggest was yet to come the almighty Heatwaves.

Fast a fan favourite, the song set ears on fire and found a steady place in many hearts going on to become first a hot favourite for a high position in the 2020 Hottest before actually winning the damn thing. But you know all that. You know this band is a big deal, you know Daves voice is magic, you know his production is criminally clever and you know that theyve had a global influence in the way theyve married hip-hop beats, pop hooks and indie vocals.

What Im here to hit you with is something new.

If You Like is a regular series from Unearthed thats seen us serve you new crme in the spirit of Lime Cordiale, Benee, Ruel and Chance The Rapper. This time round Glass Animals get the If You Like treatment and we even sat down with Dave Bayley, central figure within the band and deep music fan, who lent us his time to listen to these acts and give us his opinions on them.

Sherbert synths and thundering bass that could level cities and lower mountains. This doesnt necessarily showcase the gallop and pop sensisbilities of a Glass Animals record but that woozy wonky production is front and centre and Abraham Tilbury serves up a left of centre vocal, drenches in production, thatd do Wavey Davey proud.

"I think the voices are amazing. The vocals sounds and production are insane with crazy weird vocal delays and pitches going on. I love an 808 bass, that deep heavy bass theyve got that and my favourite thing wonky drum beats. Where the drums groove but in a really unexpected way. The snare hits in the right place, but not where you expected it. Youve got some amazing chord work in there and theres a little bit in the middle eight where the chords get really tweaked and it sent a little tingle up my spine."

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We know Glass Animals have some deep roots in US hip-hop (listen to the audio special above to hear more about that!) so naturally I had to look deeper into that side of their sound for something fun, bouncy and a little bit thicc. US born but Sydney based rapper Dante Knows partnered up producer Tasker for this crunchy club jam, a slinky, late night bumper with production that sounds like an unravelling mind. Its a little unhinged but very cool.

"Firstly, theres this combination of acoustic drums and electronic drums. I spend a lot of time trying to get analogue sounds to fit with digital sounds so Tasker crushed it. Its really hard to get those worlds to work together! Its got the bass which is great, because if a song doesnt have heavy bass Im like 'Come on, just put one 808 in'. This song paints a picture really well, I feel like Im there. The beat has a real wonk to it so its a credit to Dante Knows, in the way his words and the beat work so well together to make you feel like youre blown out of your mind in the club."

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Ok youre gonna have to bear with me here because this just might be a longbow, but I reckon if you like Glass Animals, youre going to like this song from Molly Millington. Interestingly, Molly comes at music from an entirely different launch pad to Glass Animals with a background in acoustic and folkier pop sounds. She and Sydney producer Xavier Dunn teamed up on this mad and modern record of twisted production choices and pitch shifted vocals.

"Absolutely love it. I love that song, Im gonna listen to it a lot. The production and melody are super clever, its got this childish playful nursery rhyme feel which draws you in before you realize that these lyrics are tweaked. It feels so sinister! Its got so many amazing arrangement movements, big parts, little harmonies, little beat cuts and at the very end this Sergeant Pepper Style blowout? Wicked, Im going to listen to this every morning."

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Holyoak only just recently started uploading his music to Unearthed, with his debut upload Sit Tight. Of the five tracks in this playlist, this is the one that I that sounds most perfectly in line with Glass Animals by virtue of that wobbly vocal and left-of-center hook.

"The soundscape is so well crafted, warm and fuzzy. I want to know how you got that opening bass sound, its really clever, fuzzy and psychy. Youre voice sounds wicked and reminds me of a lot of bands I grew up with. It does make me feel a bit like Im on mushies, wandering through the space of my brain."

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Meet Komang, not just the vocalist and songwriter on this track but the producer too. She says she blends groove based production with her artistry influenced by her Balinese heritage to create vibrant electronic R&B. Its hazy and thick with groove, a great new offering from this modern songwriter.

"I listened to this song at 4am last night and it just felt right. That acid bass really threw me back. When I moved to South London I got into all these bass music like Mt Kimbie, Burial and Joy Orbison and this sort of bass sound takes me back to that time when I would come home from DJing at 4am and would have a little ciggie out the window to cool off, and this would be the perfect song for that moment. The drums sound super crisp and the combination with that bass is just great."

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Love Glass Animals? Meet these five local legends from triple j Unearthed. - Unearthed - triple j - ABC News

As the global product director for ecommerce at Proto Labs Inc., Mark Flannery has a lot of exciting things on his mind these days.

Its the kind of excitement that comes with taking what was considered innovative and revolutionary 20 years ago and renewing it all over again, Flannery says.

Were actually virtually manufacturing the product before physically manufacturing it. You can see digitally how it would work.

Mark Flannery, global product director for ecommerce

Protolabs

The company, which generally goes by the name Protolabs, has taken a digital manufacturing model it introduced in 1999a model that has allowed its customers to upload CAD models of products online to place manufacturing ordersand relaunched it to put customers in more control of more quickly quoting, ordering, and producing products with better visibility into costs and production time.

Geoffrey Wain, a development engineer at Acquisition Systems Ltd, says the Protolabs platform is quite helpful during the product design and development process. Its an excellent system and a good design pointed to help you achieve something that is actually moldable, he says.Instead of just going back and saying this cant be molded, this system takes you through step by step on what you need to do to make it moldable and it also gives advisories. Acquisition Systems is a U.K.-based provider of data acquisition systems for applications ranging from gas turbine test beds to production-monitoring systems.

Protolabs processes virtually all customer orders through its ecommerce site, Protolabs.com. The companys new digital quoting engine on an updated ecommerce platformlaunched in November 2020 in Europe but slated for early 2021 for the United Statescomes at a time when many companieslarge and smallare facing pressures to quickly develop new or revised products as a result of the pandemic and changes in competition.

Now, within a few hoursor at times within minutesof uploading a computerized design file on Protolabs.com, Flannery notes, a customer can receive the quote back to view in an interactive analysis on how Protolabs will use one or more of its manufacturing processes to produce the product, whether its a part for a ventilator used in treating COVID-19 patients or a prototype of a new industrial device. Protolabs demonstrates its online services in this online video.

So youre not just getting a quote of the price and the manufacturing lead time, but were actually virtually manufacturing the product before physically manufacturing it, Flannery says. You can see digitally how it would work.

The Protolabs system also lets engineers and other users collaborate on project designs with colleagues, and it recommends alternate manufacturing steps and materials when it senses that such modifications from a customers original design could reduce production time and cost. It lets the customer understand the most cost-effective and fastest way to manufacture a product, Flannery says.

Were focused on the whole system, he adds. Upload a part design, do a few revisions after analysis, make a prototype, then make changes to a prototype, all the way to getting a product you want to market. Now were talking about shortening that cycle from idea to reality to going to market.

Once a customer decides to go ahead with final manufacturing, Protolabs can expedite it to within a single day, he adds.

Speed in testing parts, getting products to market fast, and speed in manufacturing throughout product life cyclesthese have always been vital elements in any project. But they are even more so now, says Rich Baker, chief technology officer. Unprecedented changes in many of our markets are underway due to customer demand and the ongoing pandemic, but technological advancement in manufacturing are throwing the doors of innovation wide open to allow suppliers and their customers to pivot quickly. And that agility is often the difference between success and failure.

As customer demand is changing and growing, the technology behind digital manufacturing is also evolving and becoming more valuableand adding the usefulness of an online product quoting and ordering platform, Flannery says.

Protolabs is introducing the second generation of its ecommerce platform for on-demand digital manufacturing at a time thats ripe for further development of the online ordering and managing of digital manufacturing processes including 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding. As companies are more likely now to use multiple manufacturing processes for the same project, Protolabs.com accommodates their ability to preview the feasibility and price of their plans.

For example, 3D printing is now more suitable across a larger variety of manufacturing projects, such as those that rely on using titanium for its unique combination of strength and light weight. 3D printing used to be used only for basic forms, but now it has more capabilities so is more useful and has more demand, Flannery says.

One of the crucial features of the new ecommerce platform, he adds, is the ability to provide a consistent quoting experience across the multiple manufacturing services Protolabs offers.

Even when there is not increased overall demand for manufacturing projects, there is more demand for the ability to plan and test product designs that incorporate two or more manufacturing processes. You may want to compare the tradeoffs between them or you may want to shift between them, Flannery says. Thats a large part of what companies can preview in the interactive design analysis Protolabs provides based on customers CAD file specifications, he adds.

Going forward, he says, Protolabs figures its new digital platform is designed to scale up as demand increases for its manufacturing services. The platform is also designed to gather information about customer demand and what works best in manufacturing projects.

With a team of about 150 software developers, the company added millions of lines of code to its quoting engine, and it has integrated the commerce platformwhich Protolabs built in-house on .Net technologywith its Salesforce.com customer relationship management system and its Dynamics AX enterprise resource planning system.

Eventually, Protolabs expects to build a base of data through those integrated systems to support the use of machine learning technology to make better recommendations to customers for their manufacturing projects.

We built the whole system to have a lot more data points to understand the whole end-to-end process of designing, producing, and going to market with products, Flannery says. Which then gives us the ability to do machine learning and really understand what works best for your product, for your needs.

The company also takes a more traditional tactic of constantly gathering feedback from hundreds of customers. Were constantly listening to what customers need, Flannery says.

(This article is part of a broader report,Standing Out Amid Disruption,recently published by Digital Commerce 360.)

Sign up for acomplimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 B2B News, published 4x/week, covering technology and business trends in the growing B2B ecommerce industry. Contact editor Paul Demery at[emailprotected]and follow him on Twitter @pdemery.

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Protolabs: Redoing the revolution in digital manufacturing - Digital Commerce 360

Antonio Garza is still confused about the time Jeffree Star erratically followed her and liked all her posts on social media, then suddenly unfollowed her after he thought she tweeted about him.

Antonio Garza is an open book despite being incredibly popular on YouTube. She rose to fame after fans loved her series of beauty and makeup transformation videos and now has more than 3.6 million subscribers.

Like most influencers, shes been involved in some drama over the years. The most obvious case was when she fell out with fellow YouTube sensation James Charles after he was involved in a series of scandals.

In a post that she uploaded on TikTok, Antonio Garza was reminiscing about a bizarre situation between her and Jeffree Star. She called him out for obsessively following her on social media, and then suddenly unfollowing her.

I dont know why Im saying this on the internet, said Antonio Garza. But Im thinking about the time that Jeffree Star followed me on Twitter, and then he unfollowed me on Twitter, and then he followed me back on Twitter.

Then, he followed me on every other social media platform, and started liking all of my posts on every single platform, she said. And then he started saying things in his videos that I said in my videos, like quoting me and stuff.

And then, I tweeted something one day, and he thought it was about him, and then he unfollowed me on every social media platform, she added. Like it wasnt even about him. And I was half his age. I still am. What was that about?

The situation happened several years ago when Antonio Garza was about 16 years old. It left her feeling strange and confused, and it seems like it hasnt escaped her mind ever since.

Some people think she is overthinking and overreacting about it, and it might be an attempt to stir up some drama. However, many others think her reaction is perfectly normal.

Either way, Jeffree Star hasnt responded and probably wont. Its not the first time someone has followed and then dramatically unfollowed someone on social media, and it wont be the last.

Original post:

9-year-old beats Mr Beast & PewDiePie as 2020s highest-paid YouTuber - Dexerto

When Tiffany Jesteadt, who was born blind because of a hereditary disorder, thought she might be pregnant, her husband, who is sighted, read her the results, not by choice but by necessity. It took away some of the magic, she said, explaining how shows and movies often depict wives surprising their husbands by cleverly hiding the positive pregnancy test.

Getting to tell your husband it is cultural, said Ms. Jesteadt, 33, an organization development practitioner for the U.S. Marine Corps. While she and her husband tell each other everything, she said, disclosing information about her own body is something that a woman should be able to control.

Making the test experience more private also helps reduce the judgment many blind women say they experience on their paths to motherhood.

Josselyn Sosa was a college senior when she found out she was pregnant. At first, Ms. Sosa turned to a trusted friend who accompanied her to buy a test in a CVS store that she then took in its bathroom. Her friend also had impaired vision and couldnt read the results, either. So Ms. Sosa visited the health center at her small college in Texas, where a doctor told her, I am so sorry, but it came back positive.

She felt she could provide her opinion, said Ms. Sosa, 28, who was born with congenital glaucoma in her right eye and lost sight in her left eye because of retinal detachment when she was 12. She had been dating her now-husband, who is also blind, for only a short time. I just wanted to get out to deal with it by myself, she said. It was such a big deal for me.

Ms. Sosa went on to deliver a baby girl, now 4 years old. She graduated this month with a degree in hospitality administration and shes pregnant with her second child, due in June.

For her current pregnancy, Ms. Sosa used the Be My Eyes app. It was a better experience, but she still felt she was giving up her privacy, she said.

Link:

Such a Personal, Private Thing: Rethinking the Home Pregnancy Test - The New York Times

Subscribe toPlanet UploadonApple Podcasts, but were everywhere else, too. Just go toPlanetUploadPod.com.

There are some 34,000 Google News search results for the term Quibi shuts down. And not to belabor a news story thats obviously been covered ad nauseam, but heres one more.

Just six months after the launch of billionaire Jeffrey Katenzenbergs and billionaire Meg Whitmans $1.75 billion entertainment venture, the platform that was meant to revolutionize content consumption on the go never really even got started. And now its going away. Quibi was able to onboard roughly 1.5 million users on and around its launch by way of a 90-day free trial enticement. Only about 8% of those users stayed around after the trial ended, all despite the seemingly entertaining programming from a kind of whos who list of Hollywood stars.

Here are all the things that went wrong, in no particular order of importance:

For the better part of the last two years, Katezenberg and Whitman tried to convince every major trade and media publication that theres a place in the world for short-form, high-production-value, snackable content. They arent necessarily wrong! Who doesnt want to watch a 10-minute installment of a series where Anna Kendrick finds solace and a friend in a personified sex dollinstead of doom scroll through Twitter while youre waiting in line or captive on some form of transit? In the very least its an interesting option, but Katzenberg and Whitman spent so much time hyping the platform that there was very little headspace left in consumers minds to get into the content.

After 18 months of hearing how this new app is going to bring about a paradigm shift in media consumption and Hollywood as we know it, audiences were conditioned to expect that it would actually do that. When Quibi didnt immediately deliver on that promise, no amount of marketing dollars (let alone $63 million) with sexy sizzle reels could change the hearts and minds of consumers whose trust was already lost. The vast majority just didnt care enough anymore to get invested in the content.

Did you see some of Amazons influencer marketing for season 2 of The Boys? Its fantastic. Micahel Reeves self-aware branded spot that uses the storyboard from Amazons marketing team as the backdrop for the whole nine-minute upload is fantastic. Julian Bass fast Twitter video is great, too.

And did you catch David Dobriks multiple TikToks and single YouTube video with Sacha Baron Cohen for Amazons Borat Subsequent Movie Film? No idea how much Dobrik made on the deal, but it was worth every penny.

Did you see all of Quibis memorable marketing campaigns that pushed shows out to otherwise unknown audiences in compelling ways by way of trusted individuals with massive followings? Nobody did. They didnt exist.

Heres another thing at Quibi that didnt exist. The ability to watch its programming ANYWHERE else other than inside the application.

TikTok has become a rival to the consumption behemoth that is YouTube in terms of hours of audience watchtime largely in part because everyone knows about TikTok. Thats due to a massive reported $1 billion marketing spend and the fact that you can watch TikTok videos basically everywhere. That Julian Bass I mentioned above? He first caught fire for a TikTok that he uploaded to Twitter. The original TikTok version has 14+ million views. The Twitter easy reupload has 24 million.

You know what Quibi video has the most videos on Twitter? Its a clip from a series starring Rachel Brosnahan called Golden Arm, where she has a golden arm with which she simply wont part ways. The video was shot on a cellphone of another cellphone playing the video. Its bananas, has 1.9 million views, and -because of the complicated process it took to capture is likely the only Quibi clip the vast majority of people familiar with Quibi have ever seen.

Yes, I realize user-generated TikToks are different than Hollywood-level productions in terms of distribution rights. But this closed-wall mentality was present in all aspects of the companys promotional processes, a la sending a cease and desist letter to a fan podcast. Who tries to shutdown organic, fan-made marketing in 2020?

These factors and more contributed to the fact that Quibi will no longer be in service on or around December 1. What will happen to the content after that moment in time is still unclear. Im hoping it will surface somewhere else. Because the rub in all of this is the programming actually looks like something a lot of people would enjoy.

We talk about all this and more in our latest installment of our still-relatively-new podcast, Planet Upload. Subscribe to Planet Upload on Apple Podcasts, but were everywhere else, too. Just go to PlanetUploadPod.com. The episode where we talk all about all the above and more is also embedded below. I hope you dig it.

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On The Podcast: All The Reasons Why Quibi Didnt Work - Tubefilter

A few days ago I tested Photoshops new Sky Replacement feature on a tricky waterfall image. Since Photoshop handled that challenge so well I, started wondering if the same sky replacement feature will work the same with a night photo. Well, actually, it was shot in the early morning in Jotunheimen, Norway. The sky, however, was shot in the evening that same day.

I was hanging with Dag Ole Nordhaug, testing the Samyang 18mm. We had some amazing scenery around us, but sadly very little going on in the skies. There were no clouds above, just low hanging clouds and fog rolling from the mountains. I had actually planned to trash the morning image, but when Photoshop released their latest update I changed my mind. It is very difficult to add a new sky to an image when fog and clouds bleed into the sky. How will the new Photoshop handle this challenge, I thought to myself. Lets find out.

Here is the image I started with. I edited the base exposure in Lightroom while keeping in mind that I will swap the sky later on with a night sky.

I shot the night sky image in the evening of that same day:

So those are the two images I am going to blend. Here is an overview of the process.

The first thing I did after launching the Sky Replacement tool was to add a group that I named Night. That was pretty straight forward. I just clicked on the Folder icon. I may have placed the folder a tad awry, but it is straightforward to rearrange folders and images. Just drag and drop.

Then, I clicked the plus icon to upload an image to the folder. It is also possible to right-click on the folder itself, which launches a pop-up menu where one of the options is Import Skies. The first image I added was a RAW file. It took a while for Photoshop to process the RAW file, and it was converted into a PNG file.

Tip: A much better solution would have been to upload a JPG with an edited sky. It would definitely be less time consuming, and the sky would need no further adjustments. With the raw file, I had also to edit the sky.

The algorithm got a bit confused with the fact that I did not upload a cropped image containing only the sky, so the first output looked like this:

I just dragged the sky where I wanted it. The sky replacement panel activates the move tool by default.

Photoshop blended in the night sky almost to perfection. The blending line along the low hanging clouds is amazing, and some of the stars dimly shine through where the clouds are less dense. Some arbitrary stars placed upon the brightest parts of the mountain is the only issue.

I used the Spot Healing Brush to remove any unwanted stars. This is the finished image, which I have edited to my liking:

And just as a reminder, this is where I started:

I am quite impressed with the way Photoshop blends in a night sky. Photoshop carried out a swift and precise job that would have been very time-consuming to do manually. . I would rather have to clone out a few stars than have to hand-blend images that contain low hanging clouds or fog. Well done, Adobe!

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Here is how Photoshop's sky replacement handles a night photo - DIYphotography

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FileCloud, a cloud-agnostic enterprise file sync, sharing and data governance platform, today launched FileCloud Aurora 20.2, the latest version of its secure enterprise product. Aurora introduces a gorgeous re-imagination of FileClouds browser, mobile and sync clients. This update features a sleek and responsive design that provides teams with a powerful, comfortable and fluid file-sharing experience.

Aurora delivers a clean user interface that has been reimagined based on years of experience working with real customers. Designed to be both beautiful and functional, Auroras responsive UI enhances user experience with visual hints and intuitive capabilities. Every action is reinforced with animations, and each area of the directory is marked with a different color so that users can depend on visual cues. Mouseover functionality, more descriptive labels and tooltips also help users work without being burdened by miscommunication and confusion.

With the companys guarantee of from login to sharing in seconds, it makes sense that productivity is at the core of the Aurora experience. Major quality-of-life enhancements cut down on time wasted on tedious double-clicking, dragging and searching. Single-click actions allow users to hover over file listings and immediately perform common actions such as refreshing, sharing, viewing, locking or unlocking. Aurora also introduces dozens of keyboard shortcuts, letting users act on their files without taking their hands off their keyboards.

Navigation is easier than ever with all directories accessible on the collapsible sidebar, giving users complete control over the quantity of information on their screen. The new infinite scrolling provides seamless navigation through even thousands of files and folders. Users can now also favorite, or star, files and folders that they frequently use for easier and quicker access. Recently viewed or accessed files also automatically appear on the dashboard, right next to all starred items, for maximum efficiency and convenience.

Aurora is a major update thats all about making your information work for you and not the other way around, said Madhan Kanagavel, FileClouds founder and CEO. We set out to build the ultimate user experience for the best file-sharing solution on the planet, and I believe we did it.

New functions like clipboard-image-pasting allow users to copy an image onto their clipboard and directly upload the image file into their library via pasting or keyboard shortcut ctrl-v saving time on having to download, save and then upload the image. The new built-in Markdown editor embraces the popular markup language, letting users append notes, wikis and comments on files directly within the file-sharing solution itself.

Lastly, this update also focuses on accessibility, having been designed with the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) in mind. High contrast, color options, visual cues and other customization options increase usability for a broader range of audiences.

Other major improvements include:

Aurora also is completely compatible with older versions of the FileCloud interface, so all existing files and URLs will remain unchanged.

To find out more about Aurora, visit https://www.getfilecloud.com/filecloud-aurora/.

About FileCloudFileCloud is a unified, secure enterprise file service platform that organizes enterprise data and enhances collaboration and productivity while providing ironclad data protection and governance. The platform offers powerful file sharing, sync, and mobile access capabilities on public, private, and hybrid clouds. FileCloud was developed by CodeLathe Inc., based in Austin, Texas. The company offers two productsFileCloud, an enterprise file services platform, and AirSend, a collaboration hub for teams and clientsthat are used by millions of customers around the world, ranging from individuals to Global 2000 enterprises, educational institutions, government organizations, and managed service providers For more information, visit http://www.getfilecloud.com.

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FileCloud Introduces Most Intuitive File-Sharing Experience Ever: FileCloud Aurora - Business Wire

Your Instagram handles speaks a lot about you and your brand. In 2020, its beneficial to organise it in a perfect narrative. It not only fetches you a lot of Instagram likes, but also presents a good image of your profile.

When we talk about a perfective narrative, we actually mean that your Instagram account is a consistent storyline without any breaks. It follows a particular niche and it has all the high-quality content one would ever need, over that niche.

And a good narration of your profile also includes the support of your audience, which comes in the form of likes, comments, views, everything they call your engagement rates! Actually, you can always buy Instagram likes from vendors so your posts will start look more attractive to your crowd, but you should not push it too far.

One more thing that is germane to our discussion, is linking stories and posts in the best way to reflect that perfect narrative.

Its complex, but it lies within our area and we should learn more about it.

There are several ways in which a person can do so.

As a business page, you should not just focus on photos and videos of your niche, but also stories. If you are not doing this, then you might just be at a loss.

You must always keep in mind that they are more visible to the audience, when compared to posts. Their reach is better.

Their placement is at the top of your wall, and the first thing which catches your eye is them! And therefore, you can start sharing the content that you post there.

In 2020, people spend a lot of time in watching Instagram stories. Therefore, use it for your benefits and earning more likes.

Even this has been part of the trend on Instagram. And whenever youd have something special to show on your wall, people will always be excited in advance. If their excitement converts to happiness by looking at your content, then definitely you will gain more and more Instagram likes!

It can be anything.

We can take a food bloggers example. You can first share glimpses of your next popular, in-demand recipe and drop hints of the same in stories, and whenever youd release it, people would show their happiness through likes!

The same can be thought even from a tech bloggers perspective. Here, we can consider the same situation, that can happen when you upload a gadget review or something engaging. The outcome wouldnt be different even here!

If your brand is pushing out a new product, then for the same you can go live on Instagram. The whole event can be shared in the best possible manner with your followers and they would even like it.

But what matters is to share that whole event even as an IGTV video, which appears alongside all the posts.

In that way, there will be a link between the two, and those who would have missed your stories earlier, can watch it on your wall.

This is actually useful. Theres a lot of content out there on Instagram that is available in front of us, and its likely that a user misses out on it.

So, you do get an option of sharing it at the top of everybodys wall, where there is no chance of missing it.

In this way, your profile would definitely appear as a non-breaking, smooth narrative and all your followers as well as visitors are going to like it. The same would also fetch you a lot of Instagram likes.

As amazing as it sounds, this technique can actually bring you a lot of likes, and make your audience love your page!

Its not often that readers are interested in long captions and posts. At such places, where even you cant help lengthy posts, you can share its pieces at the top of your users wall. That way, your followers will not miss out on anything and you can also create your own trend in the Instagram community.

Thoughts and ideas like these, require a lot of space in order to gain a good position in the industry.

So, these tips can help you in turning your Instagram profile into a well-narrated story! And they can also get you likes.

Nowadays we see that people arent aware of all these techniques, and they prefer to buy Instagram likes. You can do the same by simply tapping here to visit one of the biggest vendors. It can be good for your profile and its presentation, but then if you have organic ways, you dont really have to spend money.

Also considering that sellers sometimes dont provide real likes and stuff your profile with fake bots, its better to stay away from it. However, if you have made up your mind for buying likes anyway, then you can make sure to trust some renowned seller.

If the deliverables help your profile in growing, then go after it no ones stopping you. Its always your choice.

The trend has seen that now people use this trick more than often, in order to reach the top. It provides them assistance and also acts as a lubricant.

Those who dont want to go down that lane, can use the tips that we have mentioned above.

Thats what we can conclude.

The format of Instagram stories has changed over the period of time and now people use it a lot for viewing the content of their friends and followers. For a business profile like yours, they can do wonders if used properly.

Till now, the perception was that they can only be used for interacting and stuff. Well, thats still true but then there can be a good connection between them and that can promote your online business and Instagram profile.

So, make the most out of it!

More:

How to link stories and posts the best way to turn your Instagram into a perfect narrative - iLounge